Instrument for determining amount of elongation and compression of railways-rails under moving trains.



. No. 65l,l35. Patented June 5, I900. P. H. DUDLEY.

INSTRUMENT FOR DETERMINING AMOUNT OF ELONGATiON AND COMPRESSION OFRAILWAY RAILS UNDER MOVING TRAINS.

(Application filed Jan. 13, 1898.) (No Model.)

2 Shaets$heat I.

4H lfiinemmew No. e5|,!35. Patented June 5. 1900.

P. H. DUDLEY. INSTRUMENT FOR DETERMINING AMOUNT OF ELDNGATIDN ANDCOMPRESSION 0F RAILWAY RAILS UNDER MOVING TRAINS.

(Application filed Jan. 13, 189B.) (No Nodeh) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

dm Wad/d NIT'ED ST TES PA EN rrrcn.

PLIMMON H. DUDLEY, OF NEVV'YORK, N. Y.-

INSTRUMENT FOR DETERMINING AMOUNT OF ELONGATION AND COMPRESSION OFRAILWAY-RAILS UNDER MOVING TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,135, dated June 5,1900.

Application filed January 13, 1898. Serial No. 666 532. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PLIMMON H. DUDLEY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Instrument for Determining the Amount ofElongation and Compression of Railway-Rails Under Moving Trains. ofwhich the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to an instrument for determining the amount ofelongation and compression of railway-rails under moving trains andcontemplates mechanical means for'making a record of such elongation andcompression.

My invention further contemplates means for making auxiliary records tobe read in connection with the aforesaid record of the elongation andcompression, said auxiliary records indicating the moments when the railwas under elongation and when under compression, clearly distinguishingthe one from the other, and also means for making a record of theinstants when-the different wheels of the moving train passed over thesection of rail under test.

My invention further contemplates means for making a record which willindicate the speed of the train at the time-of passing over the sectionof rail under test.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a plan View showing theinstrument in position for use and its connection with track-treadlesfor making certain of the records. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionthrough the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section throughthe line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a top plan view of the instrumentfull size. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same along the line 5 5of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view in detail of a preferred form of scriber,and Fig. 7 is a View in detail indicating means for multiplying theeffect of the movement of the scriber-arm to enlarge the record.

The frame of the instrument conveniently consists of three bars A A Aintended to occupy a position transversely to the rail and at such adistance apart as may be determined upon for the purposes in hand. In

the present instance I have shown the bars A A in the full-sizeddrawings, Figs. tand 5, spaced such a distance apart as to bring theirpoints of contact with the base of the rail just one inch apart and thebars A A so spaced as to bring their points of contact with the railfour inches apart for the purpose of securing at the same test theelongation and compression of arail-section one inch in length and theelongation and compression of an adjacent rail-section four inches inlength in order that an average deduction from the two records may bemade and any possible error thereby reduced to a minimum.

In order to hold the bars A A A spaced the proper distance apart Whilethey are being clamped to the rail, I provide spacing bars B B,removably connected to the ends of the bars A A A in any well-known orsuitable manner. The bars B B are to be removed after the instrument hasbeen adjusted to the rail.

In the plan view,'Fig. l, I have shown the relative spacing of the barsA A A in the ratio of one to two instead of one to four, as in thefull-sized view, Fig. 4, and I Wish it to be understood that thisspacing is a matter of choice and convenience rather than of necessityand, furthermore, that a single space between two of the bars Would besufficient to secure a record and that the additional greater or lesserspace is provided for, for the sole purpose of correcting possible errorand not as a necessary feature.

The upper faces of the bars A A A are pro-' vided with hardened points afor entering the base of the railto hold the bars accurately andsecurely in their spaced positions, and clamping-screws Cb, working-inoverhanging arms a are utilized to force the bearing-points a into thebase of the rail by forcing the base of the rail down onto the points.

Provision may conveniently be-made for clamping the instrument torail-bases of different widths by making one set of overhangin g arms aadjustable along the bars-for example, by providing extra holes a in thebars A A (see Fig. 3) for the reception of the bolts a -and providingadditional points a at suitable intervals, if necessary.

In order to limit the extent to which the points a. shall be permittedto enter the base of the rail, I provide bearing-rollers a on which thebase of the rail will rest when the point has been inserted the properdepth and on which the base of the rail beyond the limits of theinstrument will be permitted to travel freely, so as not to disturb theeffect of the elongation and compression of the rail-section Within thelimits of the instrument upon the record-making devices.

To one of the bars, in the present instance to the bar A, there issecured a supportingbracket C, in which a hollow spindle D has abearing, the said hollow spindle D also having a bearing in the bar A,through which it extends toward the bar A. The spindle D is providedwith a tapering head (1, arranged to receive an annular plate E, onwhich the record is or the several records are to be made. The bearingsfor the spindle D are made as accurate as may be and so located that therecord-receiving face of the annular plate E may have its uppermostelement of surface at all times in the same horizontal plane with thelower face of the base of the rail. The record-receiving plate E may heslid 01f the spindle-head for the purpose of examination and for thepurpose of introducing new recordreceiving plates as often as may berequired.

It is intended that the spindle D shall rotale continuously during thetime the record is being made, and for the purpose of making the recordcontinuous throughout a greater distance than simply the circumferenceof the plate I provide for simultaneously rotating the spindle andbodily advancing it, thereby causing the record-line to follow a spiralpath along the face of the receiving-plate. To this end the spindle D isprovided with a wormwhcel F, secured thereon by a feather-andgrooveconnection, which worm wheel is driven by a worm f, actuated by a motorshown conveniently at f and connected with the worm f by a shaft f Theinterior of the hollow spindle D is provided with a fine screw-thread d,which ongages an exteriorly-screw-threaded stud or core 61*, fixed tothe bracket 0 and extending along the interior of the spindle D. As thespindle is turned by the worm-wheel it will be forced bodily forward byits engagement with the screw-threaded stud (l and hence therecord-makin g needle or scriber, held normally in a fixed positionrelatively to the record-receiving plate, will be caused to follow aspiral path along the plate.

A scriber-arm G is pivotally secured to a suitable support on the bar A,the center of its pivotal connection 9 being in the horizontal plane ofthe base of the rail and extends thence toward the top of the plate E,its free end being provided witha scriber g, consistin g, preferably, ofa semicircular disk having a stem g fitted to be inserted in a socket inthe end of the scriber-arm G and secured therein in removable adjustmentby means of aset-screwg This structure of the scriber is advantageous,in that it aifords a stifi point in contact with the record-receivingplate, which point will not be liable to break under the jar of apassing train and which may be kept sharp by grinding the edge of thedisk. A second scriber-arm G is in like manner pivoted to the bar A andextends thence over the top of the record-receiving plate E to within ashort distance of the free end of the arm G, its free end,like that ofthe arm G, being provided with a scriber for recording the elongationand compression which take place in the rail-section between the bars Aand A The space between the free ends of the scriber-arms G G or betweenthe scribers at the ends of said arms is intended to be just suflicientto permit the introduction between them of two auxiliary scribers G Gfor the purpose to be hereinafter more fully explained. Provision isalso made for drawing a reference-line on the record-receiving plate bymeans of an arm G, fixed to the bracket 0 or bar A, as may be found mostconvenient, and carrying at its free end a scribersuch, for example, asthe needle N in my Patent No. 628,928, granted July 18, 1S99in positionto form a continuous line intermediate of the lines formed by thescribers carried by the arms G G.

For the purpose of making a record to show positively which of theabnormal lines produced by the scribers on the arms G G were made whenthe metal of the rail was under stress tending to elongate it and whichwere made when the rail was under stress tending to compress it, Iprovide the scriber-arm G the scriber of which is intended to engage therecord-receiving plate in alinement with the scribers on the arms G Gand intermediate thereof. The scriber-arm G is arranged to be swunglaterally with respect to the path of the record around thereceiving-plate by means of electromagnets H and H, located uponopposite sides of the scriber-arm, the latter being provided on itsopposite sides with armatures subject to attraction by the said magnets.The electromagnets II and H are in circuit with a battery I and with acircuit maker and breaker under the control of one of thescriber-arms-in the present instance under the control of thescriber-arm Gas follows: The circuit maker and breaker consists of apivoted arm K having a loose connection at one end with a ball-stud 7ton the side of the arm G, and at its opposite end having a vibratorymovement between two yielding contact-plates 7.5 k one of them, being inelectric communication with one pole of the electromagnet II and theother, k being electrically connected with the corresponding pole of theelectromagnct II. The opposite poles of the electromagnets H and II areconnected by wires h 70 with one pole of the battery I, the oppositepole of the battery I being electrically connected at all times with thecircuit maker and breaker K by means of. a wire 1:. The parts denotedIIO by G G K H H H k k g g and the connecting-wires are convenientlyattached to a plate a, fixed to the supporting-bracket O. From thisarrangement it follows that when the scriber-arm G is moved in onedirection for example, toward the bar A, as it will be when the base ofthe rail is compressedit will rock the circuit-maker K into electricalcontact with the contact-plate k and the circuit will be completethrough the electromagnet H, thereby drawing the scriber-arm G toward itand the scriber itself carried by the arm G oif to one side of itsnormal position, where it will make its record so long as the metal inthe base of the rail under test is compressed. The moment, however, thebaseof the rail is elongated, as when the wheel of the passing train isbearing on the section under test, the scriber-arm G will be moved inthe opposite direction and will swing the circuit-maker K over intocontact with the piece 10 thereby breaking the circuit through theelectromagnet H and completing the circuitthrough themagnetH,andhencedrawing the scriber-arm G in the opposite direction, andthe scriber carried thereby will immediatelydescribeatransverse linefromits former position across its normal position to the opposite sideof its normal line and there will remain so long as the metal in therail is elongated. When the metal of the rail returns to normal, thescriber-arm G will return the circuit-maker K to its normal positionintermediate of and out ofvcontact with both the pieces 70 and thescriber-arm G will, by means of a spring g having its free end looselyengaged in a slot in the end of the said arm G be returned to its normalposition between the magnets H H, where its scriber will again followthe normal line.

The scriber carried by the arm G may be made to reverse the positions ofits record for compression and record for elongation by simply changingthe wires leading from the circuit-maker K to the poles of the magnets HH from the one magnet to the other. The. scriber carried by the arm G iscaused to make a record which will determine both the speed of the trainand the particular wheel of the moving train which was on the section ofrail being tested at the moment of any transverse or abnormal movementof the scriber carried by the arm G or G, or both, which is accomplishedas follows The scriberarm G carries an armature of an electromagnet Hwhich when energized holds the armature, and hence the scriber-arm,toward the magnet against the tension of the scriberarm-actuating springg whichspring tends to draw the arm G away from the magnet when? overthe magnet is dcenergized. The magnet II is in circuit with the batteryI and with several track-treadles, in the present instance three, asfollows: One of the traok-treadles (denoted by L) is located adjacent tothe rail at a point as nearly central as may be of the rail-v sectionunder test. It consists simply of a pivoted arm held normally by a spring Z in position to close the circuit in the wire m, leading from onepole of the battery I through the electromagnet H so that as each wheelof the passing train engages the treadle L it will break circuitmomentarily, permitting the scriber-arm G to swing away from the magnetH but the moment the wheel passes the circuit will again be closed andthe scriber-.

arm will be drawn back toward the magnet H At a convenient distancealong the track from the treadle L in that direction from which thetrain is supposed to be approaching the instrument a secondtrack-treadle L is located and is constructed to momentarily breakcircuit in the wire m and again close the circuit under the impulse ofthe pilotwheel of the locomotive, the arrangement being such that thefurther passing of the wheels of the moving train will not aitect it. Asimple and convenient structure for this purpose is represented in thedrawings, in which the treadle which the wheel engages is in the form ofa pivoted latch which catches over an abutment n on a longitudinallysliding bar N, the latter being under the influence of a spring at,tending to slide it the moment it is released by the latch-treadle L.

The sliding bar N carries a circuit making and breaking piece consistingof an insulating-section 11 in proximity to the ends of which there arecircuit-making sections a n This circuit making and breaking piece isarranged to slide between two yielding contactpieces a n, interposed inthe wire m, so that when the treadle L is depressed by the pilotwheel ofthe locomotive the bar N in sliding longitudinally under the tension ofits actuating-spring will during its movement interpose between thecontact-pieces a a the insulating-section n and will thereby momentarilybreak the circuit, deenergizing the magnet H and permitting thescriber-arm G to vibrate as before. This break,'however, will be butmomentary, as the circuit will again be complete by the interposing ofthe circuit-making section at the end of the insulating-section betweenthe contact-pieces M11 The bar N, having once been released,

is no longer affected by the vibratory move-. ment of the treadle Lunder the impulse of the succeedingwheels of thetrain.

At a predetermined distance from the treadle L there is located asimilartreadle. This distance is preferably forty-four or:

L eighty-eight feet for the purpose of easy computation, and it may befound desirableto' locate the treadle L a corresponding distance fromthe treadle L in order that the space on the record between thevibrations of the the treadles L and L.

turns to the opposite pole of thebattery 'I to complete the circuit.There is further interposed in the circuit through the track-treadles aclock 0, arranged for convenience to beat seconds and to make and breakthe circuit at each swing of the pendulum. The clock 0 may be switchedinto and out of circuit at pleasure by means of a switch P.

In practice, the instrument having been applied to the rail to be testedand the parts adjusted in position for making the record, the observeras the train approaches and a sufficient time before it reaches thetreadle L will set the receiving-plate of the instrument in motion andwill switch the clock 0 into circuit, causing a series of spaces to berecorded on the receiving-plate by the scriberarm G corresponding toseconds of time. Just before the train reaches the treadle L the clockwill be switched out of circuit and the pilot-wheels of the locomotiveoperating the treadles L and L will, as above described, pro= duce arecord spaced on the receiving-plate corresponding to a distance ofeighty-eight feet or whatever the distance may be between the treadles Land L. A comparison of the second-spaces recorded on the plate with thespace corresponding to eighty-eight feet or any predetermined number offeet will enable the observer to determine the speed of the train at thetime it is passing. As the successive wheels pass the treadle L theywill make a succession of recordsone for each wheel that passes-andthese records will be made simultaneously with the records of elongationand compression of the section under test, so that by noticing therecord of the greatest elongationor compression and noting the relationwhich the wheel-record opposite this record of greatest elongation andcompression bears to the first wheel-record the observer may determine3' ust what wheel was over or adjacent to the rail-section under test atthe moment this record of greatest elongation or compression was made.

If it be desired to multiply the effect of the scriber-arm G or G, oneor both, the scriber may be carried by an auxiliary arm Q, pivoted at qto the plate 0 or to a projection thereof and loosely connected by alink Q, pivoted at q with an arm Q pivoted at g to the plate a or to aprojection thereof and loosely connected with the scriber-arm G, theconnection of the arm G with the arm Q being-nearer its fulcrum than thepoint where the link is connected with it and the link being connectedwith the arm Q at a point nearer than the point where the scriber islocated, the scriber being still in alinement with the axis of the armG.

It is obvious that one or more of the auxiliary records which have beenhereinabove described may be made in connection with the primary recordat pleasure and that changes in the form and arrangement of the partsmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structureherein set forth; but

What I claim is- 1. An instrument for testing rails under moving trainscomprising means for attaching the instrument to the rail at one side ofthe neutral axis of the rail to segregate a plurality of portions of therail to be tested in combination with scribers connected to move inaccord with the elongations and compressions of the said segregatedportions of the rail at that side of the rail where the instrument isattached and a record-receiving mechanism common to said scribers,substantially as set forth.

2. An instrument for testing rails under moving trains comprising meansfor attaching the instrument to the rail at one side of the neutral axisof the rail to segregate a portion of the rail to be tested incombination with means for automatically making a con tinuous record ofthe amount of elongation and compression of that side of the rail wherethe instrument is attached, said recording mechanism including acylindrical recordreceiver and means for moving the recordreceiversimultaneously in difierent direc* tions, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a scriber, a recordreceiver and means forsecuring them in position to record the elongation and compression ofthe rail, of a second scriber and means under the control of thefirst-named scriber for operating the second-named scriber todistinguish the record of elongation from that of compression,substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination withascriber, a recordreceiver and means forsecuring them in position to record the elongation and compression of arail, of a second scriber, electromagnets for operating the secondscriber, an electric circuit including a source of electric energy forenergizing the magnets and a circuit -maker and breaker under thecontrol of the first-named scriber to operate the second scriber todistinguish the record of compression from that of elongation,substantially as Set forth.

5. The combination with a scriber, a recordreceiver and means forsecuring them to a rail to record the elongation and compression of therail, of a second scriber, an electromagnet for operating the scriber,an electric circuit including a source of electric energy for energizingthe magnet and a track-treadle located in the neighborhood of saidrecording mechanism for making and breaking the circuit to operate thesecond scriber and thereby indicate the particular wheel of the passingtrain corresponding to any particular record of elongation orcompression of the rail, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with mechanism for recording the elongation andcompression of a rail under a moving train, of a scriber arranged tooperate in connection with the aforesaid mechanism, an electric circuitincluding a source of electric energy for operating the said scriber,track-treadles located at a predetermined distance apart along the trackfor interrupting the electric circuit and a clock interposed in saidcircuit for interrupting the circuit at predetermined intervals of timewhereby the said scriber is caused to make a record to determine thespeed of the passing train, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with recording mechanism for determining theelongation and compression of the rail, of auxiliary scribers working inconnection With said recording mechanism, means for causing one of thesaid auxiliary scribers to distinguish the record of compression fromthat of elongation and for causing another to make a record of speed ofthe passing train and of the particular Wheel of the passing traincorresponding to a particular record of elongation or compression,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionI have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 6th day of J anuary, 1898.

PLIMMON H. DUDLEY.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, ROBERT E. SEWARD.

